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2013 SESSION

13103052D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 369
Offered January 21, 2013
Celebrating the life of the Honorable William B. Hopkins, Sr.
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Patrons-- Edwards, Alexander, Barker, Black, Blevins, Carrico, Colgan, Deeds, Ebbin, Favola, Garrett, Hanger, Herring, Howell, Locke, Lucas, Marsden, Marsh, Martin, McDougle, McEachin, McWaters, Miller, Newman, Norment, Northam, Obenshain, Petersen, Puckett, Puller, Reeves, Ruff, Saslaw, Smith, Stanley, Stosch, Stuart, Vogel, Wagner and Watkins
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WHEREAS, the Honorable William B. Hopkins, Sr., of Roanoke, the powerful 20-year veteran of the Senate of Virginia who transformed Virginia state government as chair of the Virginia Commission on State Governmental Management, died on December 11, 2012; and

WHEREAS, a graduate of Washington and Lee University, William “Bill” Hopkins joined the countless other young men of his generation in the war effort as the United States entered World War II; and

WHEREAS, a member of the United States Marine Corps, Bill Hopkins proudly served his country in the Pacific Theatre and again, as a reservist, during the Korean War; in later years, he authored two books on military history based in part on his experiences and continued to support his fellow veterans through the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars; and

WHEREAS, Bill Hopkins received a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and became partner at Martin, Hopkins & Lemon, P.C., in Roanoke and served as president of the Roanoke Bar Association; he later served as president of Tennessee Forging Steel Corporation and American Healthcare, LLC; and

WHEREAS, desirous to be of service to the residents of the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth, Bill Hopkins ran for and won election to the Senate of Virginia, serving from 1960 to 1980, including four years as the Senate majority leader; and

WHEREAS, a visionary leader, Bill Hopkins served as chair of the Virginia Commission on State Governmental Management, which came to be known as the “Hopkins Commission,” and worked to streamline state government and reorganize Virginia state agencies into the current cabinet system used today; and

WHEREAS, during his tenure in the Senate of Virginia, Bill Hopkins served on numerous committees and commissions, working to enact important legislation for the benefit of all Virginians; and

WHEREAS, a tireless advocate for Roanoke’s cultural and educational programs, Bill Hopkins worked to establish and obtain funding for the Center in the Square, a community project that revitalized the downtown; the Science Museum of Western Virginia, located at the Center in the Square, named its planetarium in his honor; and

WHEREAS, Bill Hopkins leaves behind a remarkable legacy of service to his community, the Commonwealth, and the nation that continues to benefit Virginians today and that others may strive to emulate; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Virginia, Bill Hopkins will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Dabney, Sarah, Bill, Carter, and Marshall, and their families; numerous other family members and friends; and colleagues on both sides of the aisle; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of an admired statesman, the Honorable William B. Hopkins, Sr.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of the Honorable William B. Hopkins, Sr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s profound respect for his memory and contributions to the Commonwealth.